Mutli-Grain Pizza with Italian Sausage, Spinach and Caramelized Onions

One of my all-time favorite pasta dishes is orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe from Alice Waters' cookbook, "The Art of Simple Food". I never thought of concocting a pizza version until I came across a recipe for sausage pizza in Real Simple magazine and decided I would make a play on it. It was simple to make and came out great. So easy in fact, that I am now inspired to make my own pizza more often and experiment with different flavor combinations. (Serves 6)



Ingredients:

• cornmeal for pan 
• 1 lb pizza dough (I like the multi-grain version from Whole Foods) 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 large onion 
• 2 links Italian sausage, casings removed (about 3/4 lb) 
• 1 small bunch spinach, thick stems removed (about 3 cups) 
• Kosher/Sea salt & black pepper 
• 1 cup or more shredded reduced fat cheese (i used a combination of mozzerella and cheddar) 
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 

Directions:

1. Shape fresh dough into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, thinly slice onion and cook, covered over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then. Add 1 TBSP oil and some salt and pepper. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and sprinkle a rimmed baking sheet with cornmeal. Shape the dough into a 14 inch oval, place on prepared baking sheet and brush with 1 TBSP oil. Bake until puffed and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. 
4. While the dough is cooking, heat the remaining 1 TBSP oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with spoon until no longer pink, about 7-8 minutes. Add the spinach and 1/4 TSP each salt and pepper and cook until spinach is fully wilted, about 5 minutes. 
5. Top the partially cooked pizza dough with the sausage mixture, cheeses and caramelized onions. Bake until the crust is crisp and the cheese has melted, 12 to 15 minutes. 

I served this tonight with a simple salad of red leaf lettuce, cucumber and tomato with homemade vinegarette.

If you have any leftovers, make the perfect breakfast pizza by reheating in a toaster oven and topping with a fried egg, over easy. Yum!